Mailing-envelop.



N0. 710,200. Patented Sept. 30, I902.

W. T. LEE.

MAILING ENVELOP.

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No. 7l0.200. Patented Sept. 30, I902.

W. T. LEE.

MAILING ENVELOP.

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UNITED TATES PATENT Truce.

WILLIAM THOMAS LEE, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAlLlNG-ENVELOP.

b'xECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 710,200, dated September 30, 1902.

Application filed January 14, l. 9 0 2.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, WILLIAM THOMAS LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Al toona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mailing-Envelops, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved envelop for mailing articles which are carried by the mails as third and fourth class matter or other matter which the postmasterhas a right to examine in order to determine whether or not the proper postage has been paid thereon, a further object being to provide an envelop of this class which will securely retain all such matter in position therein and which may at the same time be opened whenever necessary for the purpose specified.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by the same reference characters in each of the views, Fig ure 1 is a plan view of a main envelop-blank and a supplemental sealing-blank from which my improved envelop is made, the supplemental sealing-blank being secured to the main blank; Fig. 2, a back view of an envelop made according to my invention; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the envelop open for inspection; Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4: of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification; Fig. 6, a back view of an envelop made from the blanks shown in Fig. 5 and showing the envelop sealed; Fig. 7, a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the envelop open for inspection; Fig. 8, a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a view similar to Fig. 1, showing another modification; Fig. 10, a view of an envelop made from the blanks shown in Fig. 9 and showing the envelop sealed; Fig. 11, a view similar to Fig. 10, showing the envelop open for inspection; and Fig. 12, a section on the line 12 12 of Fig. 11.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, reference being made to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, I provide a main blank comprising abody portion so, having two foldable side Serial No. 89.641. (No model.)

members a and a said blank being also provided at one end with a folding flap a and at the opposite end with a similar folding flap a, said flap a being provided with an extension to. Secured to one of the folding side members (1 as shown in the drawings, is a supplemental sealing-blank b, the connection of this blank I) with the side member a being by means of an end extension I) of said blank Z), which is sealed to the member of, and said blank I) is also provided with a side flap 17 which overlaps the flap a at the end of the body portion a of the main blank. The side member a is also preferably provided at the end thereof adjacent to the sealing-flap I) with a flap a and in the operation of preparing the envelop for use or forming said envelop this flap a is folded inwardly and sealed to the body portion of the member a so as to give strength to said end of said member, and said flap (1- is gummed for this purpose, as shown at c. The parts a a and b are also provided with gummed surfaces 0, whereby they maybe sealed togetheiyand in forming an envelop from these blanks the flap a is first folded over the flap b of the sealing blank or strip b along the line c", and the flaps b and a are then folded together over the sealing blank or strip 1) along the line 0 The memher or flap a is then folded over the body por tion of the blank a along the line 0 and is sealed to the member I), and the end flap a is then folded over and sealed to the member or flap a This completes the envelop or renders it ready for use, and the contents or matter to be mailed is placed therein through the open sides, and the flap or member a is then folded over and sealed, as shown in Fig. 2, and in this form of construction it will be seen that the flap or member a constitutes the ordinary sealing-tlap. 1f the postmaster or any one having authority desires to inspect the contents of the envelop, the flaps a, a, and b sorted between the parts I) and a at o in Fig. 4.

In Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, I have shown another form of the construction, in which the operation is similar to that hereinbefore described, the difference being that the side members a and a are of substantially the same width, whereas in Fig. l the side memher a is as wide as the body portion of the blank, and the side member a constitutes merely a flap. In all otherrespects this construct-ion is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and as hereinbefore described, with the exception that the side member a is provided at the endthereof adjacent to the part b with a gummed flap a which is adapted to be folded inwardly, so as to strengthen said side member, and with this form of construction the side members a and a are folded and sealed, and the flap or member a constitutes the ordinary sealing-flap and the matterto be mailed is inserted at the end of the envelop which is closed by the flap a.

In Figs. 9 to 12 I have shown another form of construction, in which the main blank comprises a body portion d, having two side members d andd ,whicl1 consist of narrowgummed strips, the gum being shown at c, and said body of the blank is provided also with the sealing strip or blank b, which is secured to the part (1 at W, the same as in Fig. 1. In this form of construction, however, instead of employinga small sealing-flap (#1 provide the body cl of the main blank with an extended or enlarged end member d. In this form of construction the body 01 of the main blank is provided with the flaps a and a", as in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and Figs. 5 to 6, inclusive, and the sealing blank or strip 1) is also provided with the flap b and the end member 61 is provided at its outer end with a small folding flap or strip (i having a gummed inner surface, and in practice this flap d is folded inwardly, so as to strengthen the end of the part at, and the flaps a and a of the main blank and the flaps Z) of the strip or blank b are then folded, after which. the part (1 is folded over and sealed to the strip or member Z9, and the strip or member 01 is then folded over and sealed to the part 61 and the part 61 constitutes the ordinary sealing-fiap of the envelop ready for use, and after the contents have been put therein the sealing-flap d is folded over and sealed to the back of the envelop or to the part (1 as shown in Fig. 10. The inspection of the contents of this envelop is done in the same manner as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, it being understood that the flaps a a and b are folded together and then folded inwardly and passed between the parts I) and d at 0 Although the parts a and a as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and the parts d ,and 61 as shown in Fig. 9, are described as folding side flaps or members, and the part a as shown Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An envelop-composed of a main blank and a sealing-strip, the body portion of the main blank being provided at its opposite side with folding flaps or members, and at one end with a folding flap or member and said sealing-strip being sealed or secured at one end thereof to the end of the main blank opposite the last-named folding flap or member, the end of the body portion of the main blank with which the sealing-strip is connected being also provided with a flap which is adapted to be folded transversely and centrally thereof and also at the end of said body portion of the main blank, and said sealing-strip being also provided with a flap which is adapted to be folded at the end of the body portion of the main blank and which is adapted to overlap part of the last-named flap of the body of the main blank, substantially as shown and described.

2. An envelop composed of a main blank and a sealing-strip, the body portion of the main blank being provided atits opposite side with folding flaps or members and at one end with a folding flap or member and said sealing-strip being sealed or secured at one end thereof to the end of the main blank opposite the last-named folding flap or member, the end of the body portion of the main blank and with which the sealing-strip is connected being also provided with a fiap which is adapted to be folded transversely and centrally thereof and also atthe end of said body portion of the main blank, and said sealingstrip being also provided with a flap which is adapted to be folded at the end of the body portion of the main blank and which is adapted to overlap part of the last-named flap of the body of the main blank, the folding flaps or members at the opposite sides of the main blank being also provided at the ends thereof adjacent to the sealing-strip with flaps, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of January, 1902.

WILLIAM THOMAS LEE.

Witnesses:

JOHN LEE, ROBERT E. LEE. 

